Gender Identity Clinics

Gender identity clinics (GICs) are special clinics responsible for trans-related healthcare. This includes diagnosis with ‘gender dysphoria’, hormone prescriptions, and surgery referrals. These are usually a team of psychiatrists and psychologists. Some teams have endocrinologists and voice therapists too. Below is a list of GICs in the UK. GICs require a referral from a GP and sometimes from a local CMHT.

How can I get referred?From the website: The service is for patients in Lothian who can refer themselves or be referred by a GP or other health care professional. To contact gender clinic staff at Chalmers Centre phone 0131 536 1505 and ask for the ‘gender clinic secretary’.

How can I get referred?Referrals via GP. Website also says: "We will see anyone over the age of 17 who experiences distress about their assigned gender. We also accept referrals of 16 year olds who will be 17 at the time of their first appointment".

Private practitioners for gender care.

There are private practitioners that offer psychological services to trans people or people who are questioning their gender identity. You may wish to pursue private counselling and/ or psychotherapy to support you with your thinking about your gender identity. There are also a number of different private gender specialists who can diagnose gender dysphoria, prescribe hormone therapy and refer people for surgery. In most cases, you do not require a GP or psychiatrist referral - it's a case of phoning and making the appointment yourself. Individual practitioners will have different requirements for different types of treatment, so it's worth finding out more about the practice.